Steam-boiler regulator.



WITNESSES C. L. McCRAE.

STEAM BOILER REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.27.1911.

Patented J an. 15, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- INVENTOR ATToRN EY I C. L. McCRAE.

STEAM BOILER REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1917.

Patented Jam 15,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 7.0 9 a j 4 W a 2 z k ;4 {1. l1 1 1: i

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY STEAMFBOILER REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 15, 19181.

Application filedIebruary 27, 1317. Serial No. 151,278.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES L. MoCRAn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tucumcari, in the county of Quay and State of New Mexico, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steam-Boiler Regulators, of which the following is a specification. i i

This invention relates to apparatus for use in connection with a steam boiler for regulating and maintaining a uniform water level in the boiler, without attention and with he n c s y of manual ma ipulation at any time,the object of the: invention being to provide an improved apparatus of this kind which is simple in construction and which operates automatically to maintain a uniform water level in the boiler for. a definite period of time.

.Tvheinvention consis i th con t uction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of a steam boiler and a steam feed pump therefor provided with feed water regulating apparatus constructed and arranged in' accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a. section on the line 22 vof Fig. 3.

'Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the feed water regulating apparatus.

For the purposes of this specification a steam boiler is indicated at 1, a feed water pump at 2 and the steam dome of the boiler at 3'. [he feed Water pipe which leads from the pump to the boiler is indicated at 4.

In accordance with my invention I provide a vertically arranged cylindrical vessel 5 which constitutes a float chamber and which is connected near its lower end to the water space of the boiler by a pipe 6 and is connected near its upper end to the steam space of the boiler by a pipe 7. Said water and steam pipes are respectively provided with cut-oii'valves 8, 9. The float chamber is provided at its lower end with a blow-out cook 10 for cleaning sediment which may accumulate the pipes or' in the fioatchamber. The float chamber or cylinder has a removable head ll ,at its upper end whichis secured to a flange l2 bolts 13. plug 14, which is vertically arranged has its flower end secured in a n i' op nin in the, h ad 1 a sa d e se has :a essel astral bor :1

ing, therethrough, which bore is of slightly greater diameter than a. vertical rod "16; which extends therethrough and down wardlyinto and nearly to the bottom of the cylinder. A spherical float 20 is provided with a centrally arranged vertical tube 21 through which the rodlG extends, the float being thus adapted for vertical adjustment on said rodand the ends of the tubehaving setscrews 23 for holding the fioat'after it has been adjusted. The upperxendof the plug 14: screws into a T 31,'and the upp'er end of this T in turn is closedbyaplug 32. The stem of this T is connected by a horizontal tube 30 with one end of the head of a second T 28 and the other end of .said head is in turn closed by a plug 29 preferablyfcupped on its interior as shown. The stem of this second T. is'uppe'rmost, and from it rises a pipe 27 whose upper'end is connected with one extremity of the head of a third T 26 as shown. Thus is produced attib nl'ar housing'for the lever mechanism yet to be described, and the removal'of the plugs 32 and 29 permits access to opposite endsof said housing and the lever therein. A pipe 23 leads from the steam dome'3 to a hand valve 24, and an upright pipe 25 in turn leads from this valve downward into the upper extremity of the head of said third T 26. The elements thus far described are of ample size so that'the'y may inclose the valve and lever mechanisms yet to be described, and steam from the dome 3 flows through the steam connection freely until it reaches the restricted bore 15 ofthe plug 14, whereas the water of condensation within this housing will run through said bore into the chamber 5, and thence through the water pipe 6 back into the boiler. "A T 33 which is smaller than the third T 26 is arranged therein and provided in the upper end of its head with a gland 34 the lower end of which forms a valvefseat 35. In the lower end of the head off sai'dT 3-3 is a gland 36the lower end of {which forms a valve seat 37. A'steam pipe 38-leads from the [stem of the T 33 to the steam Pump 2 m pa s h ug 'ae a which i ew d a ng h lat er'being screwed inthe stem of the T 2611s shown. A vertically movable valve rod 'iil'passes through and is movable intheyertical; of the'T 33iand also throughthe glands 14 36 and is provided near its 'upper' end w th .lbaeita iee lr ar n e ee l we serve to guide said rod and hold it centered in the gland 34 and to also leave interposed steam channels as will be understood. A valve 43 is screwed on the valve rodvnear 5 the upper end of the latter and is arranged to close, by upward movement of said valve rod against the seat 35. A valve 44 is screwed on the valve rod below the T 33 and is adapted by movement of said valve rod to close against the seat 37 at the same time that the valve 43 closes against the seat 35.

A lever 45 extends through the tube 30 and into the Ts 28, 31 and has its inner end pivoted as at 46 to a bracket 47 which is secured by a rivet 48 in the said T 28.

The other end of the lever is pivotally connected as at 48' to the upper end of the float rod 16. A link 49 has its upper end pivotally connected as at 50 to the lower end of the valve rod 41 and-has its lower end pivotally connected as at 51 to the lever 45.

It will be observed that the valves 43, 44

2e are balanced because the pressure within the steam connection is on their respectively opposite sides. These valves,together with the T 33 which forms the valve casing and the valve rod 49 and lever 45, are arranged and incased in the steam connection between the dome 3 and the float chamber 5, which connection includes the members 23, 24.- 25, 26, 27, 28. 30. 31 and the plug 14. Then the water level in the boiler and in the chamber falls, the float draws downwardly on the lever 45. thereby causing the rod 49 to move the valves 43, 44 downwardly, thus opening the seats 35, 36 so that steam enters the upper and lower ends of the T or valve cas- 46 ing 33 from the steam connection and is supplied to the pump through the pipe 38. so that the pump is started in operation. The pump continues to operate until the water level resumes the required height, whereupon the float causes the valves to close, as

will be understood. The valves 43, 44 being balanced are easily operated by the float so that the apparatus acts efliciently' and without attention. The bore 15 of the plug I is only slightly greater in diameter than the float rod 16 and while serving to preserve steam connection between theboiler and the float chamber prevents the rapid passage of steam in either direction and prevents the 55 water level in the float chamber from becoming higher than that in the boiler. Thus it will be seen that I have produced a regulator wherein the valves and their lever-actuating mechanism are entirely into closed within the steam connection which is in constant communication with the hot steam inthe dome, the steam pipe takes its supply from the interior of this connection through a small T housed therein and accessible when the bushing 40 is removed to in the ample tube. 30 may flow through the restricted bore 15 of the plug 14 and escape, and yet little if any steam will flow from the valve chamber 5 upward through this bore because the latter is nearly filled by the float rod 15 and the water of condensation would doubtless cut ofl the upward passage of the steam. Variations in the pressure of the latter do not aflect the successful operation of this device, solong as the pressure is sufficient to drive the pump. Should the boiler at any time be supplied with an excessive quantity of water so that the float rises beyond its normal position, the valves 43, 44 can only close and the pump of course ceases its action. Should the water level at any time fall excessively, as when the water is depleted unusually, the float will fall and the valves will open as wide as possible, thus permitting the pump 2 to run to its capacity and rapidly reestablish the proper water level. This is not ordinarily changed after having once been established as the conditions of the plant and the type of the boiler may require, but if for any reason a change is made there are two methods of causing the device to operate earlier or later. One is, of course, by adjusting the float on the rod 16: this necessitates getting into the interior of the-float chamber 5. The other is by deflecting the lever 45: this necessitates only the removal of one or both the plugs 32 and 29, when the lever maybe replaced by one which is slightly bent or, in fact, the lever herein shown might be deflected out of a normally straight line. Finally, one advantage flowing from the specific construction of my in vention as above given lies in the fact that its parts are stock elements which maybe purchased in the open market and replaced at any time in case they become defective or inoperative. The tubes, pipes, and Ts' may be of standard sizes,v having standard threads, and an unskilled workman can effect such repairs as are necessary without special tools. V l

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

The combination with av steam boiler, its feed water pump, a float chamber, direct connections between the upper and lower. ends of said chamber and the boiler above and below the water line therein, a tubular plug in the upper end ot'the chamber. and a float in the chamber whose rod rises through said plug; of'a T into one extremity of whose head the upper end of the plug is screwed, means for closing the other extremity thereof, a horizontal tube projecting from the stem of this T, a second T into one extremity of Whose head the other end of the tube is screwed, a plug in the opposite extremity of said head, a bracket fast within the last-named T, a lever of the second order having one end pivoted in said bracket, its body extending throughout the length of said tube, and its other end pivoted to said float rod within the first'named T, a pipe rising from the stem ofthe second T, a third T into one extremity of whose head the upper end of said pipe is screwed, steam connections leading from the boiler dome to the other extremity thereof, a valve casing within the third T and a bushing in the stem of the latter, a steam pipe leading from said casing through the bushing to said pump, balanced valves within said casing, a rod on which they are mounted, and a link connecting the rod with said lever near the pivot of the latter on the bracket.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

CHARLES L. MGCRAE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

